West Shore Lake Pontchartrain Public Scoping Meetings Scheduled

USACE New Orleans District
Published Sept. 30, 2021

New Orleans – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District has scheduled two virtual public scoping meetings to gather input for the preparation of the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) regarding the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain project.

This SEIS would provide an assessment of proposed alternative projects to compensate for the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction Project (WSLP Project) in St. Charles, St. James, and St. John the Baptist Parishes and it would identify the Tentatively Selected Alternative.

Due to COVID-19, the meetings will be held via WebEx and simultaneously streamed on the district’s Facebook page on:

 

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021 at 10 a.m.

  • Toll Free by Phone: 1-844-800-2712
  • Meeting Number: 2760 021 8500

Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021 at 2 p.m.

  • Toll Free by Phone: 1-844-800-2712
  • Meeting Number: 2764 286 3221

Log in information for the public meetings, as well as all documents related to the SEIS, is available on the project website here: https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/About/Projects/BBA-2018/West-Shore-Lake-Pontchartrain/

Compensatory mitigation for impacts due to construction of the WSLP Project was described in the 2014 WSLP EIS and in Environmental Assessment (EA) 576, which addressed mitigation for habitat impacts associated with each Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 funded risk reduction projects. The Finding of No Significant Impact for EA 576 was signed by the District Commander on April 4, 2020.  Public comment on EA 576 included requests that the Mississippi River Diversion into Maurepas Swamp Project be considered as a mitigation alternative for impacts to swamp habitat associated with the construction of the WSLP Project.

The general public, interested parties, and stakeholders are invited to submit comments in preparation of the SEIS. The draft report will contain a description of the project, an evaluation of the alternatives under consideration, and an analysis of potential environmental impacts. All public comments received will be addressed and considered accordingly as part of the continued development of the SEIS into a more detailed recommended plan.

The New Orleans District will accept comments during these meetings via WebEx or Facebook, by text or voicemail to ‪(318) 604-9302‬, or by email to mvnenvironmental@usace.army.mil.

Comments may also be mailed to:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Regional Planning and Environmental Division South PDS-C
7400 Leake Ave, New Orleans, LA 70118

Supporting information will be available online at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District website:

https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental/NEPA-Compliance-Documents/Bipartisan-Budget-Act-2018-BBA-18/West-Shore-Lake-Pontchartrain/

 

 

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Contact
Rene Poche
504-862-1767

Release no. 21-083